


Memories of Coffee

by Darkhymns



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: F/M, Implied Lloyd/Colette, Melancholy, Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 05:16:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21470653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkhymns/pseuds/Darkhymns
Summary: Not every memory would be pleasant, but they come to him, unannounced. The cup of coffee, however, stayed warm in his hands.
Relationships: Anna/Kratos Aurion
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	Memories of Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Krannaweek, Day 1: Hot and Cold. This isn't as much fluff as I meant it to be, but I hope it reads ok!

Kratos had long tried to forget about Anna, even after he had discovered her grave at Lloyd’s home. But memories had a way of sneaking up on him at the most inopportune moments.

As the campfire crackled in the quiet night, he heard soft muttering from a few feet away. He noted that Lloyd had been a restless sleeper ever since he forcibly joined their group, the Chosen never protesting it. Kratos waited, already predicting when the boy _(his son)_ would wake up, his uneasiness of the journey settling in on his consciousness, even when he was unaware.

Such instincts could have been learned, could have been inherited. It wasn’t Kratos’ place to say.

Keeping his eyes on a sleepy Noishe, who softly wagged his tail as he laid on the ground near Kratos, the footsteps he expected soon came, followed by a tired voice. Of course, the boy must have noted the empty space near him, prompting him to ask the one who called himself a mercenary

“Hey… Where’s Colette?”

He only briefly turned to find Lloyd standing before him, rubbing at his eyes. The firelight caught the shade of familiar burnished brown hair, and Kratos had to turn away, facing the west. “You should be sleeping.”

Even after taking up on his training lessons, Lloyd would still get highly annoyed with him, as he did now. “Ugh, well I _can’t._ Shouldn’t Colette be sleeping then?”

“The Chosen is over on the hillside,” he said, along with a brief nod towards the direction.

A small pause, one of incredulity, or so Kratos assumed. “And you just let her go off by herself?” Lloyd said accusingly. “Some guard you are! I thought things were dangerous!”

“The Chosen requested it,” he simply stated, and was soon answered by an irritated scoff. He turned back to find the exasperated boy, still very tired, but now already heading towards the west, the fire still highlighting his hair.

“Well, I’m gonna make sure she’s okay if you’re not doing anything.” Again, that irritation, and it was something in that which finally made Kratos stand, reaching out his hand to grip Lloyd’s shoulder.

“H-Hey! What are you-?”

“Over here first,” he stated, turning back to the campfire – as well as the pot of coffee he was brewing. He knelt to retrieve the kettle, along with cups he had gathered previously for the occasion.

Lloyd was too confused, as well as too fatigued, to ask him. And that was fine, for as he examined the coffee, one of those old memories came back, like the soft rumblings of a storm, where all one could do was wait out until it was over.

* * *

.

.

.

Anna had said virtually nothing to him the entire night, even as her footsteps lagged behind his, even as she nearly tumbled headfirst onto the ground because of exhaustion and refused his help. Kratos felt the same, his Exsphere pushed to the limit to keep his own body going. Although it had been days since breaking out of the ranch, it felt as if they were always being chased.

“Here we can rest,” he said finally, to break the silence between them. The grove he picked was far out of the way of most villages in Sylvarant, hopefully not well-drawn on most Desian maps either. He already set about to make a campfire, careful to not use any of his magic, careful to not reveal too much to the woman who had once been in shackles.

But Anna would still say nothing, instead simply seating herself on the ground, hands over her knees, pointedly looking away from him. The simple clothes they had given her at the ranch was frayed, nearly ripped apart on one side. They only had time to pass through one town, Kratos quickly shopping for a few essentials, such as food, gels, and a traveling cloak for Anna. He blamed himself for not getting her new clothes, but she had barely accepted the cloak as it were, only doing so when the night had grown too cold.

So many questions to ask, but she wouldn’t talk. He didn’t know how to help her talk, to at least assure her that danger was gone this very night. He didn’t know how to explain on just why he had done all this for her in the first place.

Maybe a warm drink would smooth away tension, he had thought dimly.

On his quick shopping trip, Kratos had acquired some coffee, as well as a kettle to help brew the liquid in. He made their campfire, all while Anna stayed seated on the ground. He felt her eyes on him then, turning back briefly to find the firelight bounce against burnished brown hair. But still she said nothing. What other words could be said? Their entire time together had been awkward, mainly filled with the dread of being found by Cruxis. It was not his place to make her trust him, when he had just broken her out of the ranch with barely an explanation.

So he put his efforts into making something, pouring the liquid in a tin cup before handing it to Anna. Her face had been hidden in shadows, only slightly revealed as she raised her head, the firelight shining off her features.

“This is hot coffee,” he told her. “Please drink if you wish.”

It was then she finally spoke her first words in hours. “Coffee? This late at night?”

Frankly, it was the reaction he hadn’t anticipated. Kratos cleared his throat, feeling as if he had just been scolded. “It would be prudent to stay aware of our surroundings,” he offered as explanation.

At that, Anna looked back to the cup he held out to her, before gently taking it from him, carefully avoiding his touch. She didn’t offer her thanks. He didn’t expect it. He politely turned away so that she could drink it in peace. Maybe he could arrange for better shelter for them with the trees overhead-

That was when he heard a sharp choke, followed by coughing. Hand instinctively going to his sword’s hilt, he turned back towards Anna. Had an enemy snuck through?

Instead, Anna was spitting out the coffee, some of it hitting the campfire, making it hiss. “Ugh! What is in this?!” she yelled.

Kratos was stunned. “What’s wrong? Are you allergic to coffee? I didn’t-”

“N-No! I’m…” Another cough, Anna wiping away at her mouth with the hem of her cloak. “Just… this tastes completely awful!”

He blinked in response, but said nothing in his defense.

“And… this isn’t even hot? It’s ice cold! How did you manage that?”

An embarrassed flush coated his cheeks. Ah. His Exsphere. He had adjusted it so that he would not need to sleep, to eat or drink, or to even feel. Of course, that included temperatures…

Finally, Anna had stopped hacking her lungs out, still clutching the tin cup, though now holding it out in front of her a few feet as if it were a cursed artifact. “It tastes like… complete and utter despair,” she said with a grimace. “Have you never made a pot of coffee in your life?”

Well, the last had been quite some time ago…

Instead, all he did was look down at the ground, finally releasing his grip on his sword. “Forgive me. I suppose my skills have been lacking in that area.”

Another silence between them, except from the crackling of a newborn campfire. Then, Anna laughed. Softly, lightly. She stunned him again, but for now vastly different reasons.

“You act as if you had just poisoned me,” she joked, shoulders shaking in mirth. Until she stopped, eyeing him under her eyelashes. “That’s not true, is it? Was this your attempt at finishing me off?”

Kratos stuttered, at a complete loss on what to say. “I-I would… would not do something so underhanded-”

She waved him off, still sporting a grin. “Okay, okay, you’re forgiven either way.” She took a deep breath, bringing in the tin cup close to her chin. “But, this is amazing in it’s own way. I had no idea coffee could taste so much like mud, right down to the texture.” She laughed again, looking up to him.

Kratos knew by now that he was _completely_ red in the face. “I suppose it is acceptable to laugh at my shortcomings.”

At that, she tilted her head at him. Again, the firelight caught her hair. Again, Kratos was at a loss on what to say next.

“You are…the most serious, and the most dour person I have ever met.” She said this thoughtfully, eyes flicking back to the cup cradled in both hands before lifting it to take another sip.

Widened eyes and a short step forward. Yet Kratos hung back helplessly as Anna sipped down the rest of the coffee with obvious distaste in her expression. “Anna-” he started, a bit aghast that just now, after their escape, he had finally used her name.

She had caught onto that as well, her eyes sharp as she lowered the cup from her lips. A shudder went through her, but she smiled. “Still tastes horrible, and it’s making me colder… but it will keep me up for sure.”

Again, he couldn’t resist one final apology. “I am sorry. It was thoughtless of me to not think that you would want to sleep.”

She shook her head, then reached for the same kettle that Kratos had used, pouring more of the terrible coffee into her cup. Once done, she then handed the cup to him.

Anna continually stunned him, and in his surprise, he automatically reached for the proffered coffee, remembering to adjust his Exsphere’s capabilities. Ah. Even without the absence of touch, he should have noted the lack of steam from the coffee…

“Drink it.”

Kratos raised his head at her. But her smile showed it wasn’t really a punishment.

“Stay up as well and talk with me tonight,” she said. “I’ve had a hard time sleeping anyway. Another voice would be good.” But something flickered in her expression then, something that pierced through him, but softly. “Unless you don’t need this coffee to stay awake.”

She knew more than she let on. It was those same searching eyes that drew him to her in the first place.

Kratos swallowed the coffee in one sip, his taste buds back in full degree. At least Anna had been happy.

.

.

.

* * *

Lloyd’s impatience was palpable, brimming in the air like the summer heat. But Kratos kept his motions in careful control, this time examining the pot, adjusting the flames of the campfire, stray embers buffeted by a brief wind. He had practiced ever since that night.

There were several mugs at the foot of the fire, much of them plain and bought quickly for travel. But Kratos noted two kinds; one made of wood that looked weathered, unpolished, but sturdy. It had been crafted well and would last for several more years to come. The other was of expensive porcelain but nicked on one side, patterns of swirling blue near its rim. Kratos handled this one carefully, for it would only be more damaged if it was dropped, if it would even survive the fall.

By the time he had finished pouring the coffee into both, he stood up to face Lloyd, who still looked impatient and a little peeved, but blinked at the proffered mugs.

“Take these for yourself and the Chosen,” he said. The steam rose from the mugs, only to quickly dissipate with the wind.

Lloyd looked at them, then back to Kratos, confused. “Coffee? This late? Why?”

Memories come up when you least expect them to. But he was careful not to let anything show. It was not a burden that Lloyd needed at this time. He would have plenty more to come.

“To stay aware of our surroundings,” he had said, looking back out into the distance, for he was on watch, after all. “Assassins chase after the Chosen. Keep an eye on her.”

For Lloyd’s eyes, like his mother’s, were sharp. Not everything would be hidden from him for very long.

“…Okay,” Lloyd finally said, taking the mugs. “And… thanks.”

The boy _(their son)_ finally left, heading towards the west, towards the small hill where the Chosen stood. He spared a quick glance to see her turn at the sound of Lloyd’s footsteps. The smile she gave was familiar, he felt, and only given the moment her eyes settled on Lloyd coming close.

Kratos thought at first about listening in, to understand the moment of Lloyd’s discovery. But instead, he minimized his hearing, so that all he could hear was the gentle crackling of the fire before him.

_“This night is colder than I thought… I think your coffee has frozen my insides.”_

_“Well, I have also now suffered the same fate. But as long as we stay near the fire, we should warm up.”_

_A brief shift, her traveling cloak brushing against his side. “This cloak is warm however. I don’t mind sharing this if you needed it.”_

Kratos closed his eyes. He still remembered the taste of the coffee.


End file.
